I style myself as an award-winning author, but the number of
awards is much smaller than that of some of my sister authors (cough, cough,
Marissa). So, when I hear that my books have made some list, I get rather
giddy. Allow me to share that giddiness with you.
For the third year in a row, I am honored to have one of my
books on Kathy’s Review Corner’s Gems list, this time for Never Doubt a Duke, the first in my Fortune’s Brides series. Kathy
is a voracious reader, and I appreciate how she works with authors to showcase
great books. She chooses her favorite books of the year to include on the Gems
list. You might drop by for a visit.
Never Doubt a Duke
also graced the Favorite 2018 Books list at Hope by the Book. My thanks to
Alysha Worthen and her blog, For the Love of Christian Fiction, for the nomination.
If you’d like to catch up with the latest of my Fortune’s Brides
series, Never Vie for a Viscount was
launched on December 28. Lydia Villers wants to leave behind her life
as a social butterfly and pursue a career in natural philosophy. A shame the
only scientist available to assist her is the man she had once hoped to wed.
Viscount Worthington has been betrayed once too often, including by the bubbly
beauty who now wants to work at his side. How can he believe Lydia’s intentions
are true this time? With the help of Miss Thorn and her beloved cat Fortune, an
enthusiastic young lady and a wary lord might just discover that only together
do they make the perfect chemistry.
Here’s a little taste:
As the rest of the team murmured their goodbyes, Lydia went
to set the pincushion on the shelves. Irritating, impossible man. How was she
to learn anything when Worth set her at meaningless tasks? Was he trying to
force her to leave?
She gasped, whirling. “You are! You want me gone.”
His sister Charlotte frowned. “I’m sure I never said any
such thing.”
Worth had his hands behind his back, as if intent on hiding
something. “If the work displeases you, Miss Villers, we will not hold you to
your agreement of employment.”
Charlotte stared at him. Lydia raised her chin and looked
him in the eye. The grey seemed darker, as if his thoughts were as dismal.
“I came here to learn more about natural philosophy,” she
told him. “Nothing you have done, nothing you can do, will change that, my
lord.”
She thought he might look disappointed, perhaps chagrined
that she had caught him at his game. Instead, he stepped forward and offered
her his arm.
“In that case,” he said, “may I see you home, Miss Villers?”
She wanted to refuse. He had disappointed her too many
times. But he obviously had a hypothesis about her. She should let him test it,
offer him evidence that she was more capable than he knew. If he spent time
with her, learned more about her, perhaps he would come to understand why she
was here and be more inclined to let her help.
She put her arm on his. “Very well, my lord.”
He escorted her to where she’d left her things in her tiny
room, then led her back through the house and out the front door.
“I apologize,” he said as they walked along the pavement at
the edge of Clarendon Square.
“For humoring me or for failing to accept the results of my
experiment?” Lydia asked, voice pleasant from long practice.
“For upsetting you,” he said. “I dislike seeing you
unhappy.”
Lydia stopped, forcing him to stop as well. “How
extraordinary. Do you dislike seeing Miss Pankhurst unhappy?”
He cocked his head as if considering the matter. “I would
like to think so.”
“Then you would allow her to commandeer your time with
useless experiments.”
“No.”
He had always seemed so open, so obvious in his thoughts,
until he had sent that horrid note dismissing her. Could she believe him now?
How could she continue to work in that house if she didn’t?
“Then why,” she asked, “did you do that for me?”
Again, his answer was swift. “Every natural philosopher has
a right to test a theory. My approval, the application to my research, appeared
immaterial in that moment. I wanted to know how you would go about testing it,
your response to the testing.”
“So, you did have a hypothesis about me,” Lydia said, “and
you were testing it too. What was your hypothesis, my lord?”
He colored. Truly, it was an amazing sight. The red climbed
in his cheeks until it clashed with his auburn hair. “I’m not entirely sure.
Perhaps I was merely curious.”
Curious, or wondering whether she’d behave logically? Of
course, on hearing what he’d done, she’d all but stomped her feet and called
him names, so there was that.
“Apology accepted,” she said, starting forward at a brisk
pace.
He hurried to fall into step beside her. “Thank you.”
“However,” Lydia said, skirts sweeping the pavement, “I
believe reparations are in order.”
“I see.” He nodded thoughtfully. “Flowers perhaps?”
Lydia clucked her tongue. “Nothing so common, sir. You
wounded me deeply.”
“Should I apologize again?”
He sounded so perplexed, hands going behind his back once
more. Was that what he did when he was uncertain? She could not doubt that she
had disquieted him.
But she did not intend to encourage him.
“No,” she said. “But you could give me a greater part in the
work.”
She glanced at him to find his head down, his gaze on the stone
at their feet. “Alas, it would be unfair to Miss Janssen and Miss Pankhurst to
take their work from them.”
Lydia stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to
Meredith’s door. “Surely there must be something. Perhaps if you told me what
we are working toward, I might be able to propose a role.”
His face closed, and he took a step back from her. “I’m
afraid that must remain quiet for now. Good afternoon, Miss Villers.”
He turned and strode back the way they had come, for all the
world as if she were chasing him.
You can find Never Vie for a Viscount in ebook at many fine
online retailers and in print from Amazon:
Here’s to a great year, my dears. You know it will be
amazing because, it’s 19!
